Project management can be a mammoth task without the help of various project management tools that are easily available today. These tools can help you organize, manage, and monitor the entire project without much hassle and waste of time. In addition, a project management tool also creates a certain level of transparency, so that team members and clients are up to date regarding the progress of the project and the setbacks it is facing.
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| 6 Steps to Choosing an Ideal Project Management Tool: eAskme |
This article will navigate through the uses of project management tools, as already mentioned, along with 6 steps to choosing an ideal project management tool for your project.
What Are Project Management Tools?
Almost 77% of high-performing companies and their teams use project management tools that guarantee the maximization of success rate.
But what are project management tools in the first place?
Project management tools are software that can be used to organize and manage tasks online.
In addition, it aids in the optimization of resources throughout the organization.
While there are many different project management apps out there, they all have these features in common.
- Assigning and tracking tasks
- Parent and child projects
- Collaborative features
- Sharing of files and documents
For various reasons, project management tools are a significant part of a project management system.
They help to organize the team and assign tasks in a structured form.
It provides a holistic view of all the tasks under the project so that every member is well-informed about the project's current status and how much work is yet to be completed.
These online project management tools also allow teammates to communicate better and more easily.
6 Steps to Choosing an Ideal Project Management Tool:
Recognize and define your project management needs:
You cannot choose a project management tool without deciding on what it is that your project needs.
This might comprise factors like what your team needs to complete the project and where they face difficulties.
A few common problems that a project might face are:
- Lack of communication between team members
- No plan or organization
- Missed deadlines
- Unequal distribution of workload
- Too many meetings that ultimately waste everyone's time
You must ask yourself whether the project management tool you are considering can solve these problems and many more.
This list is a great headstart to everything you expect your project management tool to provide.
There might be many fancy features in a particular tool, but if that does not tackle these issues, there is no point.
In-depth research:
Trust nobody but your research and feedback from others who have had immense success with a particular project management tool.
Here are a few ways in which you can conduct your research on the ideal tool:
- Discuss with colleagues or team members about project management tools they prefer and why
- Go beyond your company and have a chat with other project managers from the same industry you belong to
- Industry websites provide several suggestions. Remember to check those out
Your team members will have opinions regarding the matter. Never underestimate their word.
Many employees have a great deal of knowledge about project management systems.
Test the project management tool before using it:
Before you set your mind on a particular project management tool, a demo or test run is crucial.
Almost every other project management app available online offers a free trial period.
Make use of this opportunity to test the tool for all your needs. In addition, you can pilot the tool along with other team members instead of deciding on your own.
This makes the process more democratic.
Get feedback from teammates:
Ask for feedback from your teammates once the trial is over.
The feedback can be framed around questions such as:
● Will the tool increases the efficiency of the workflow?
● How much time will be spent on updates? Is it worth that much time?
● List the pros and cons of the tool
● How much time did the project management tool take to get started?
● Would you recommend the tool to others? Rate it on a scale of 1 to 10
Cost of the project management tool:
Every project has a fixed budget, which the company decides, and the stakeholders.
Once fixed, the project manager needs to make every effort not to exceed that budget.
Budget concerns also include the cost of the project management tool.
Make sure you have the exact cost of the tool with you.
If the tool is truly worth it and will help tackle all the problems mentioned above, you have the ideal project management app.
Implement and use the project management tool:
Once you have found a tool that meets all your needs, you can make the purchase.
It is now time to implement and use the online project management tool to finish some work.
Make sure you have a plan of implementation to move ahead.
You can make this plan by keeping the following factors in mind:
- Prepare a timeline that includes when members would be brought on board, what step to take first or will everything be done simultaneously, and so on.
- Keep in mind that there are many people on your team who might be unfamiliar with the tool and will require training to use it effectively. Therefore, your implementation plan must include a training period and the overall procedure of the training.
- Don't forget to incorporate the key integrations and who will be responsible for setting it up.
Conclusion:
Project management tools are widespread, but finding one that suits all your needs isn't easy.
It requires a certain amount of research, trial runs, and feedback to finally find a tool that suits the requirements of your project.
In addition, your team must be on board to integrate the project management app into their workflow.
The list of 6 steps mentioned in this article will be beneficial in this process.
If you still have any question, feel free to ask me via comments.
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